"A new appointment?"

Yuchi Jingde was still full of questions. He really couldn't understand how His Majesty could possibly torment Li Jue.

Li Jing lifted the carriage curtain and looked towards the distant north.

"I hope Your Majesty is not in such a hurry to send the eldest grandson to the north..."

"north?"

"Old Li, are you talking about Xueyantuo?"

Li Jing nodded heavily upon hearing this.

"Over the years, the Xueyantuo have taken advantage of the power of the Tang Dynasty to annex many tribes and have become the new overlords of the northern grasslands!"

"Under the pressure from the Xueyantuo, the Western Turks had a very difficult time and could only make constant concessions."

"If Your Majesty sends Li Jue to fight the Xueyantuo, I fear Li Jue will suffer a defeat!"

"defeat?"

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jingde curled his lip in disdain.

"No way?"

"The eldest grandson has gunpowder in his hands!"

Li Jing snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"What do you know!"

"Gunpowder is indeed a miraculous substance, but it's not a panacea!"

"The grassland is a vast desert, covered with sand. Even if you bury a hundred truckloads of gunpowder, what difference will it make? It will only raise more dust."

Li Jing's guess was very accurate. As soon as they returned to the capital, Li Jue was impeached for allegedly selling refined steel to the Western Turks without authorization, which was suspected of being colluding with foreign countries and plotting a rebellion.

Although Li Shimin punished the officials who impeached Li Jue on baseless grounds, he still issued an imperial edict exiling Li Jue to Xia Prefecture to serve in the army of Zhishi Sili.

As soon as Li Shimin announced this decision, Changsun Wuji immediately jumped out to oppose it.

"Your Majesty, the claim that the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country is completely unfounded. He should not be punished so severely, much less exiled to the front lines to serve in the army."

Yuchi Jingde was puzzled by what he heard and secretly tugged at Li Jing's sleeve.

"What's going on? Why is Changsun Wuji speaking up for our disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"If you used your brain at all, you wouldn't have asked me!"

"He's not pleading for our apprentice; he just doesn't want our apprentice to have any contact with the military!"